100

Mil Sim FTW

I have been a fan since back in the days of Operation Flashpoint (Coldwar), these games have all had a sense of realism that CS, CoD, BF, etc have all lacked.
I will start with saying that if you are use to playing the games mentioned above then you are in for a suprise, the controls are not as fluid, and at times can be clunky. The UI is very awkward and lacks a lot of valuable data that you are use to seeing in FPS games, such as health bar, shield, direction, maps, etc. but it gives you a better sense of realism, in the real battlefield you are not given all that info on a HUD with access at your finger tips.
The single player aspect of the game is pretty cheesy, horrible voice overs, bad dialog, and buggy delays leave something to be desired from a single player aspect, not to mention the difficulty level (even on easy) can become a hassle, but if gives you a sense at how evenly matched you are and how important each individual in your squad really is, and how staying vigilant on the battlefield can mean life or death, not just another respawn timer.
The best part of this game is the online community. This game has one of the best mod communities of any game. So you are never bored with the same old content. You can go to www.armaholic.com and see for yourself. Bored of a certain soldier skin? Go online and download British SAS group! Tired of the boring grey A10 Warthog and its lack of armament? go online download a digicam warthog with cluster bombs!
This game also has several conversion mods such as DayZ, ACE Mod, Vietnam Mod, Cold War mod, etc.
Vehicles really can make or break a game, and this game finds the perfect balance with it, they have a sense of power and require more that 1 person to operate all aspects, for instance a tank requires a driver, gunner and a commander, but you can switch between the 3 if you dont have buddies a long with you. The vehicles have vulnerable areas, so operating tactically is important if you want to stay alive.
Multiplayer is what will get you the most replayability from this game. Theres nothing like playing an insurgency map, you and 12 others crammed into a UH60 blackhawk, and being airlifted into battle! From huge Coop maps, insurgency, and Zargabad Life (kinda like the sims lol) to PvP CTF DM and Capture/Hold modes, it will really keep you interested.
I highly suggest checking out this series if you are looking for a little more from an FPS! (pickup arma3 too while you are at it!)

91

Totally Worth It

If you plan on buying this bundle for DayZ. Do it. DayZ is the most enjoyable experience I've had on a video game in quite a long time, and you'll always come back for more.
But ArmA itself is also an amazing game too, the Cooperative missions you can play with friends are whatnot are incredible and there are tons created by the community that you can download and play by yourself or with friends, so that there is always more to do, and more to experience. The game does have a decently large learning curve though, and it can be hard to actually enjoy the game at first glance, so you have to actually have to put a bit of time into the game as a noob before you can know what you're doing and have a nice time. This is nothing like CoD or Battlefield, it's a whole different shooter.

90

One of the best simulators.

I have played this game for a long time, but I just got enough time to review it. First of all, if you bought this game for the DayZ mod, you are wasting your time, because there is so much more fun to be had in this package. Helicopters, Fighter Jets, Tanks, Humvees, Motorcycles, and so much more. This game can be considered a sandbox, because you can be spending hours on end just figuring out what you are going to do for a realism server.

70

One word. Realism.

War. It isn't fun when its real. And sometimes it ceases to be fun when a game gets too real.
For battlefield simulation enthusiasts, this game is a gem. However for a casual gamer, its going to be more frustrating than fun.
This game is not for the typical Call of Duty gamer. You will not be able to run around with your gun and shoot up everyone. Hell, you can't even run and shoot in the first place. The learning curve is quite fair, but requires some patience, as does the game itself, and especially the mod DayZ. You will often find yourself crawling through the grass trying to avoid a group of bandits or a hoard of zombies. This type of gameplay can be good for some, and very off putting for others.
Graphics aren't really bad however the engine has some optimization problems, and some of the complex controls can real really buggy.
All in all its an amazing game for a purist, but not so much for the causal gamer who's looking for fun.

97

Amazing Game!

ArmA 2 is truly an amazing game in itself and with DayZ it just gets better and better its like a pvp zombie apocalypse. ArmA is just so great and I love this game. I recommend to any gamers who like a challenge.

85

Great game, plus DayZ

Arma 2: Combined Operations is a great game, it comes with Arma 2, and Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead. The game has good graphics, but can be a little tricky if you are new to PC gaming because of all the buttons to press. You can also download DayZ with it, which is a amazing zombie mod that is hard to stay away from. Overall, I would say it is a 85.

83

ARMA II: Combined Operations - review

This is a pack that contains ArmA II, as well as the new stand alone expansion, Operation Arrowhead. Both games are similar, with the biggest difference being their setting. Arma II takes place in a detailed jungle environment while Operation Arrowhead throws you into a desert in the Middle East. For as frustrating and tedious as the single player campaigns are, the multiplayer can be extremely fun. Commanders for each team exist, but you can also be a regular soldier. Multiplayer games are a lot like something you would see in a Battlefield game, although far more realistic. Please keep in mind that you can install the mod Day-Z, which will surely make it much more durable this type of game.

75

Interesting gaming experience

ARMA II is interesting in many ways. It is hard to take this game seriously, especially when it is full of different bugs. Not all the bugs are bad thing and game is great fun. Also game has maybe the most active modding community for a simulator game.
Game has many different multiplayer modes, including COOP. The most funniest thing, I spent in this game, was when i respawned as a crow.
It does offer something for those who are looking for war simulator. Maps are large and you feel kinda like in a battlefield.

85

Good for strategists

This game is not for the typical Call of Duty gamer. You will not be able to run around with your gun and shoot up everyone. Hell, you can't even run and shoot in the first place. The learning curve is quite fair, but requires some patience, as does the game itself, and especially the mod DayZ. You will often find yourself crawling through the grass trying to avoid a group of bandits or a hoard of zombies. This type of gameplay can be good for some, and very off putting for others.
Gameplay aside, the graphics look great, but the optimization is a little poor, so be sure your computer can run it. There are various bugs that you have to live with, but none of them are unbearable. All in all, Arma II combined ops is a good purchase for a patient gamer.

93

Brilliant game, brilliant mods

ArmA 2 is an absolutely amazing game, and then it only gets made better by mods such as DayZ. If you're into extremely realistic military simulators (such as Red Orchestra 2) then this is the game for you. The base game alone is truly amazing when playing online, and the DayZ mod helps add to such an amazing experience by introducing a whole new element to the game. The only bad thing is that this release uses Capsule and not Steam so it's more difficult to join games with your friends on Steam.

89

High bar of entry

ARMA2 hates you. It hates you because your PC isn't good enough and you don't have enough fingers (or a photographic memory) to appreciate its user interface. And if you thought ARMA2 hated you, then wait till you see what DayZ thinks of you....
This is a tough game to recommend. If you're here for the war sim, then be aware that there's lots to like about ARMA2. It's "realistic". or at least it has aspirations to be realistic like the Operation Flashpoint games on console. This isn't Left Trigger snap locking and blowing away 100 people a minute Modern Warfare style. This is a proper, hardcore war game for the sort of people who are probably hoarding food as we speak in an underground bunker, waiting for the end of civilization.
Which is ironic, as you're probably here because you fancy trying the DayZ mod. It's a must play experience. Certainly. Probably one of the games of 2012. A game (mod) capable of producing such feelings of awe, fear and curiosity in a player that each playing session is essentially a written narrative to rival a Cormak McCarthy novel. But it's also brutal. Brutal to learn and brutal to play. It really, really, hates you. The UI is legendary for it's impenetrableness. I'm not joking when I tell you it took me 2 hours to learn how to put items into and out of my backpack properly.
But the rewards are there. You just need the stoic ability to persevere to find them. If you do, you'll find something amazing. If you don't have the time or inclination, then wait. Because someone will eventually put out a comparable experience as a self-contained title, and you can enjoy it then. But there is a certain pleasure in being at the start of something huge. There will be a lot of games a lot like DayZ in the future. But you might want to wait for them.

85

This isn't a FPS. This is a simulation !

You're warned, this game require the time and patience to learn how it deserves to be played !
Every Decision have to be considered because 1 bullet can kill you and trust me, the enemy ( AI or player ) won't miss their shots ! Besides of that, graphics are pretty good as the map is huge. There are a lot of interesting mods too like DayZ for example. I really enjoyed playing coop. Conquer cities with a lot of player was really fun to play. The gameplay need a little time to be learned as their are plenty keys to assigned to many function, but when you know how it works it's not a problem.
Remember, this is more a simulation than a game ! If you are aware of that and you like that then don't miss this game !

90

Battlefield meets Steel Battalion

If you've ever played a "war sim" game, such as Operation Arrowhead or any previous ArmA games, you probably know what I mean when I compare it to Steel Battalion, the famed xbox game featuring a controller with 40 buttons. The game practically goes out of its way to have as cumbersome controls as possible, requiring several keybinds for crouching, standing, lying down, and other things where single keybinds would usually suffice. If you want to master the game, be prepared to use at least twice the amount of keys you would use for any normal game.
With that being said, once you get used to the control scheme, ArmA 2 is an excellent war game. It's probably the most realistic war FPS available so far, for better or worse depending on how you view hardcore realism. If you expect to run and gun, you will die extremely often; ArmA 2 is a rare type of FPS in which tactics are a necessity, rather than just a suggestion. If you have a PC that can handle them, the game's beautiful graphics also help to add to the sense of realism - despite the game being several years old now. If you're looking for a large-scale war FPS like Battlefield but don't want to have to deal with Battlefield 3, ArmA 2 will make a much better alternative if you give it the attention required to learn the game.
But who am I kidding? As I said before, this game is several years old. The reason it's suddenly the new top seller in town is because of Day Z, and that's probably why you're reading this page in the first place. If that's the case, you might as well go ahead and just stop reading and buy this. Day Z is basically a game where if you've read any sort of news story about it and still want to play it without being turned off by descriptions of its difficulty, you'll almost certainly love it.

60

Caution: Day Z isn't for everybody.

I bought this just to play the Day Z mod and at this point in time, I regret it. The game is very hard to get in to. I've played maybe 3 hours and have yet to find an actual gun. It's mostly just running away and trying to find loot while avoiding zombies. It's a bit too Survivor-Man and not enough Resident Evil.
The base game is OK, but it's nothing compared to Battlefield or Call of Duty. I can't recommend ARMA II: CO to anyone but the hardest core of gamers who like the idea of rummaging around in zombie infested areas completely unarmed.

90

Good Game , Good Mod

Some people buy this game just for Day-Z and then they just play the mod. The mod is great but the game is great too. I think it has some complicated controls and pretty much uses almost all of the keyboard and sometimes it can get a bit annoying . The game is very realistic (the most realistic war game on the market) and sometimes it can get boring(crawling is not exactly fun). Combat is fun but can be hard. I kinda enjoyed the story too. Arma 2 is more than a mod , so play it.

90

Get it.

ARMA II: Combined Operations is not that good a game itself (it's more like a realistic combat simulator), but it shines when you try the DayZ mod. It's like a real zombie apocalypse would be like and I love it. A huuuuge map with a ton of people. You can either make friends or kill them. And after you die - you are dead. Forever. Which also gives an awesome sensation of survival. You are missing out on a lot by not having this if you are actually the 1% that doesn't already own it.

90

Great game, not just for the DayZ

ArmA II: Combined Operations is a pack that includes the ArmA II, and the standalone Operation Arrowhead, but you probably already know that.
As far as the game goes, the graphics and the sounds are amazing, and the same goes for the vehicles, animations and everything else. The game is trying to be as realistic as possible, and it succeeds in doing just that, and the result is quite fascinating. The game, both Arma 2 and OA, have a lot of multiplayer gamemodes to choose from, so pick your poison. The only problem with it is, the actual vanilla gamemodes are very, very rarely played. The campaign is also fun, and there is an "armory" mode, where you can test out your newly unlocked weapons and vehicles in a series of different missions, like the assassination missions.
But, most people bought it, or want to buy it for its DayZ mod, which is truly amazing, and very immersive. It's unforgivable at first, but once you get into it, and once you start understanding how the game works, it will be a blast. It's especially fun with a friend or two, or even a squad of survivors. Be a bandit, a mere survivor trying to get around, or hunt bandits. You can, honestly, do anything you want, and you will finish the day off with a few stories to share with your friends. I haven't tried out the new two maps, but I've been told that you can now play the Takistan map, and the Utes map, so kudos to that!
Definitely worth the money, even the full price.